Well-rod socket



J. A.- DAY. WELL aonsocw. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I6, 192| 1,416,620, mem-ed. May' .16, 1922.,

JAMES A. DAY, OF OILFIELDS, CALIFORNA.

WELL-non soenna?.

Application led March 16` 1921. Serial No. 452,743.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, JAMES A. DAY, a citizen of the `UnitedStates, resident of Oilfields, county of Fresno, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Well- R-od Socket, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in well rod sockets. It frequently happens that in deep well pumps the rod actuating the pumping means breaks in some place within the pump casing that it is im` possible to reach from the surface of the ground. lf such a break occurs at a place thus out of reach, the only alternative to taking the whole casing out is to fish for the broken end of the rod with some tool adapted for that purpose, try to get a good hold of the same and then pull it out. The dilliculty is increased by the fact that the rod usually consists of a number of pieces jointed to` gether and that the break frequently occurs right above the joint, which, of course, is of larger diameter than the rest of the rod. Usually the operator does not know, just where the break did occur and whether the broken end to be fishedjfor is a joint or just a piece ofplain rod. 'In my present invention l present a tool especially well adapted to be slipped over the end of the rod and to take a firm hold of the same, no matter whether the broken end is a joint or a plain piece of rod.

My tool is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure (l) represents a longitudinal vertical section through the same, some parts of the same being broken away, Figure (2) a cross-section through the same alongline 2-2 of .Figure (l), Figure another cross-section along line 3 3 of Figure (l), Figure (4) a longitudinal vertical section taken at right angles to the section of Figure (l), Figure (5) a perspective view of one of three parts forming a cylindrical wedge, and Figure (G) a perspective view of a spade-shaped wedge used in my tool.

Referring to the drawing more particularly, it will be seen that my well rod socket, comprises two tubes (2) and (3), made preferably of wood. The two are joined together in vertical alignment by a sleeve (4) having a central part (6) of the same outside diameter as that of the tubes and two threaded ends (7) and (8) adapted to engage inner threads in said tubes. The upper end of the upper tube (2) is closed by means` of a cap (9) screwed into the same, which cap is also adapted to be screwed by means of the threaded end (1l) into any extension that may be needed to reach the broken end of the rod.

The inner diameter of the lower tube is a little larger than the diameter of the rod joint to be picked up, so that the latter can conveniently pass through the saine. It may be remarked here that the twotubes repre` sent two different means for picking up the rod, the lower one designed to pick up the rod at a joint, while the upper one is made to grip the plain rod, in case there is no joint at the upper end of the'rod. In order to facilitate the inding of the rod, which for the purpose of this description may be imagined to stand within a rather narrow casing, leaning against the wall, and which has to be found by touch, the lower end of the inside of the lower tube isishown rounded olf so that it will readily slip over the rod. A small distance above the lower end of the lower tubes two oppositely arranged vertical apertures (16) are arranged in the walls of the tube, each occupying about a one-fourth of the circumference of thetube and each leading into a considerably narrower vertical` slot 17 provided centrally above said apertures. In each of these slots pivots on a pin (1S) mounted in the tube the top end of the handle of a Vspade (19), shown in de` tail in Figure (6), the slot (2l) in said handle allowing of vertical movement of said spade. ln their most downward position, as shown in Figure (l), the tips of the blades (23) of said spades extend considerably below the lower line of the apcrtures (16) and as a consequence they con` siderably narrow the passage within the tube so that an object like the ring- (2i), which is of a size to just conveniently pass the rest of the tube, is locked by said two spade tips. lWhen the two spades are in their uppermost position, they still entend a small distance below the lower line of the aperture, so as not to be thrown outside the tube.l but in that position their rounded tips fit into the rounded edges deiining the lower line of the aperture, so that the inner faces of the spades are then perfectly flush with the inner circumference of the tube. In this case the ring (24) would be free to pass the spades.

`When the tube is held vertically, like in Figure (l), the spades will naturally assume the position indicated in said figure and the ring will tend to keep the spades apart from each other. Assuming now that the rod to be picked up presents a joint at its upper broken end having approximately the diameter of the ring, it will be seen, that when the rod has been located by touch and the tube has been slipped over it, the joint will hit the tips of the spa-des and thereby push the spades upward, so that they will recede into the apertures (16), without, however, being pushed outside the tube altogether. They will thus clear the path for the joint which will then come in Contact with the ring and push the same upward. As soon as the joint has passed the spades and the plain rod, of smaller di ameter than the joint, is opposite the same, they will fall back into the position indicated in Figure (l) and effectively lock the joint, just like they lock the ring in the drawing.

In case the broken end of the. rod does not present a joint, but only a plain rod, it will pass through the ring (24e) without affecting the lower arrangement at all. But in passing through the sleeve (4c) connecting the lower tube to the upper one it will push against the wedge l(31). The latter may be described as a sleeve cut into several longitudinal sections (80) having their lower ends rounded off, as shown in Figure (5). This wedge `is seated in the conical upper end of the connecting sleeve (4e) and pressed against said sea-t by aspiral spring (32) extending between said wedge and the cap (9). Then seated as shown in Figure (l), the aperture within the wedge is too small to allow the rod to pass the same. The latter will therefore unseat the wedge and push it upward against the action of the spring. The wedgeconsisting of a. plurality of Sections, will expand the farther it is removed from its seat, until it allows the rod to pass. As soon as the rod passes the wedge the spring (32) will prevent any further expansion of the wedge and will firmly press the wedge againsty t e rod, thereby holding it in its place.

I claim: l. In means forl gripping a rod having an enlarged' end, a tube adapted to loosely t on. said enlarged end, two oppositely arranged' spades, capable of vertical movements, pivotally Suspended in the Wall of said tube, a ring` between the spades adapted to hold the same in spaced relation, the blades of the spades extending inside the tube and being adapted to'recede into the wall when raised, the enlarged end of the rod being adapted to raise said blades in passingT the same and the latter being adapted to drop and lock said enlarged end after the same has passed them.

2. In means for gripping a rodhaying an enlarged end, a tube adapted to loosely fit on the enlarged end and plurality of cooperating spades pivotally suspended with` in the wall of the tube `with freedom of vertical motion. the tips of the spades normally extending into the tube but being adapted te temporarily recede within the wall when passed by the enlarged end of the rod.

3. In means for gripping a rod having an enlarged end, a tube adapted te loosely t on the enlarged end and a plurality of cooperating spades pivotally suspended within the wall of the tube with freedom of vertical motion, the tips of the spades normally extending into the tube but being adapted to temporarily recede within the wall when passed by the enlarged end ofthe rod, and means for normally holding the tips in spaced relation.

4f. In means for gripping a rod having an enlarged end, a tube adapted to loosely fit on the enlarged end and a. plurality of cooperating spades pivotally suspended within the wall of the tube with freedom of vertical motion, the tips of the spades normally eX- tending into the tube but being adapted to temporarily recede within the wall when passed by the enlarged end of the rod, and means for normally `holding the tips in spaced relation adapted to be removed by the passing end of the rod.

.ninas A. DAY. 

